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Climate Change Consultation for Mo-Bay February 19

By: , February 18, 2014

The Key Point:

The agricultural sector and coastal towns have featured prominently in the series of consultations on Climate Change.

The Facts

  • The next consultation will be held in Montego Bay at the Wexford Hotel on February 19, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
  • The consultations are also used to highlight the Framework Policy and Action Plan (Green Paper).

The Full Story

The agricultural sector and coastal towns have featured prominently in the series of consultations on Climate Change and its likely impact on the country.

They are being hosted by the Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, to heighten the public’s awareness of the impact of climate change on communities.

The next consultation will be held in Montego Bay at the Wexford Hotel on February 19, beginning at 9:30 a.m. That session will facilitate the parishes of Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawney.

Consultant in the Climate Change Division, Leonie Barnaby, told JIS News that it is important for all stakeholders to come out and take part in the consultations, as the impact of climate change affects everyone.

“There are serious implications for agriculture,” she emphasised, particularly the consequences of drought on the sector. She added that townships, particularly those along the island’s coastline, are also down for consideration in the action plan (Green Paper).

According to Director of Environmental Management and Conservation at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Anthony McKenzie, most of the island’s major townships are built along the coastline, and there is need to re-think how developments are planned.

“Our development orders and spatial plan need to take on board the potential impact of climate change. Going forward the planning strategy has to be revisited, and   NEPA is here to ensure that these considerations are brought to bear in our planning and adaptation programmes,” he noted.

Principal Director of the Climate Change Division, Albert Daley, told JIS News that is important to inform the public as much as possible on the impact of climate change, hence the importance of the consultations.

He said they are the perfect fora for the average Jamaican as well as those with some technical and practical knowledge to participate and share their views.

“Indications are that temperatures are rising and will continue to rise, so we want to help people understand the extent to which it will rise and the likely impact on different sections of the island as well as sectors, and what they may be able to do to minimize the impact,” Mr. Daley said.

The consultations are also used to highlight the Framework Policy and Action Plan (Green Paper). Persons are asked to visit the Ministry’s website at: www.mwlecc.com and make comments.

The final consultation will be held on February 20 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel and will facilitate the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Thomas, and St. Catherine.  It will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Last Updated: February 18, 2014

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